Cable railway



(No Model.)

R. GILLHAM.

CABLE RAILWAY.

Patented Feb. Z3, 1886.

MINIMUM! l mnimm l I. L

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT GILLHAM, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

CABLE RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part'. of Letters Patent No. 336,561I dated February 23. 1886.

Original application filed April 27, 1885. Serial No. 163.682. Divided and this applicaiinn filed November 1G, 1885. Serial No.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT GILLHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas Oity, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cable Railways; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appert-ains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciiication.

The object of my invention is to prevent the slot-rails in cable railways from being thrown out of position or wedged toward each other by outside pressure, the results of which have been to vary the width of the slot and interfere with the cable-grip, and to afford means for convenient adjustment of said rails at the required distance apart when a variation frcni their true position is discovered.

An application is now pendingin the United States Patent Office, filed April27, 1885, Serial No. 163,682, of which this application is a division, and in which are the following claims not claimed in this application, viz: In a cable railway tube, the combination of the concrete forming said tube, with perforated transverse strengthening plates' or yokes, substantiallyas specified.

In cable railways, the combination of the slot-rails, alug upon the supporting device for said rails, an adjusting-rod attached to the slot-rail, and also in the lug, and suitable nuts on said rod and on opposite sides of the said slot-rail, adapted to be operated as shown and described.

In cable railways a pavement of any description laid between the track-rails and slotrails exerts a pressure upon the latterin proportion to its capacity for expansion or from the manner in which it is laid, and also that due to the passage of loaded wagons over the pavement.

When wood pavements are used, their eX- pansion under the conditions of moisture, it will be readily seen, has an effect to vary the position of the slot-rails, which is readily counteracted by my invention; and it consists in the means for adjusting the slot-rai1s laterally to meet the change of position, and pre- (No model.)

the adjusting devices as seen in Fig. 2, and r showing the nuts on opposite sides of the slotrails. Fig. 3 is aplan viewof the yoke-beam.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A A represent the yoke ofa cable railway.

a a are the transverse openings through the yoke A.

B is the yoke-beam; b b, the transverse openings through the yoke-beam B. b are bolts securing yoke A to beam B.

C C are the slot-rails.

c c are anges on slotrails C.

c are bolts which pass through the fianges c c, and through the fianges a of yoke A, securing the slot-rails to the yoke.

c2 is the slot.

D D are the adjusting rods or bars.

d is a nut on the end of rod D which ex-v tends through the slot-rail.

d is a nut on the rod D, and on the opposite side of slot-rail to nut d.

E E are lugs on the upper surface of yoke A.

e is a nut on the end of rod D which enters the lug E.

e is a notch or countersink in the lug Eto admit the nut e.

I I are the longitudinal adjusting-strips on either side of the slot-rails C C.

Mis a nut-wrench.

In the construction of my invention I rst make a suitable transverse perforation through the slot-rails C, slightly below the slot o?, and in a vertical line with the center of yoke A. I then form upon the upper horizontal surface of the said yoke A, between the slot-rails and the track-rails and Stringer-chair, and ata convenient distance from the slot-rails for the proper working of the devices, a lug, E, and perforate the said lug in the direction of the slotrails, slightly inclining the perforation in an upward direction.` Upon the outer and perforated end of the lug E, I make a notch or countersunk seat, e', which receives the nut e and prevents it from turning. I then IOO make a rod, D, of a suitable length to to be attached tothe lug E, and also to the slotrails. and upon one end cut a screw-thread, to which the nut d is fitted and turned a suitable distance thereon to permit said end to pass through the perforation in the slot rails. The said screw-threaded end of rod D is then inserted in the perforation in the slot-rails, the nut d' bearing against the outer side of said rail and the nut d fitted to the said end of rod D from the inner side of said rails, securing the rod thereto. The opposite end of the rod D is also provided with a screw-thread, and is rst bent downwardly atan angle a suitable distance away from the nut d', and passed through the perforation in the lug E, and slightly beyond the said lug, and the nut c ttcd thereto.

The adj usting-strips I are made of any suitable material, and in depth to extend from the flange c ofthe slot-rail, upon whichitrests to the horizontal surface of thesaid rails. The strips I are cut in the desired lengths to reach from one yoke to an adjoining yoke, and form a continuous outer covering to thesides of the slot-rails, this giving greater lateral strength to the same, and are beveled upon the surface which fays against the said slotl rails, as seen in the drawings.

In the operation ofthe adj listing-rod D` when it is found necessary to vary the position of the slot-rails C laterally, the adjusting-strip I is rst removed and tapered to the requisite' degree, or astrip of the requisite dimensions made to put in its place. The removal of strip I exposes the nut d' on the rod D, which nut is on the outside and in contact with the slotrail. The slot-rails C C are then thrown slightly away from each other by releasing the nut df, or allowed to come nearer to each other by releasing the nut d on the said rod D,Which nut dis on the inner side of the slot-rails, the nuts c holdingthe slot-rails to the yoke A being rst loosened, if necessary, and the said nut d turned to the right or left, as the positions of the slot-rails are found to vary from their relation respecting the Width of the slot between the opposite slot-rails.

The position of the slot-rails may be readily varied Without necessitating the removal of the pavement or entering` the tube,for the purpose to accomplish which I use a uut-wrench, M, suitably bent,which I introduce from Without through the slot c2 between the sloterails, and which wrench engages with the nut d on the end of bolt D.

The advantages of my invention are found of great importance in cable railways, and ob- Viate the disadvantages arising from the compression or Variation ofthe slot-rails referred to, and an increased rigidity is given laterally to said rails, thus more easily resisting lateral pressure.

I do not limit myself in the invention to the precise construction shown; but,

Having fully described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secu re by Letters Patent, is

l. In cable railways,the combination of' the slot-rail, alug provided with a countersink, as described, and arranged upon the supporting device for said rails, an adjusting-rod attached tothe slot-rails and also to thelug, and suitable nuts on said rod and on opposite sides of the said slot-rail, for the purpose described.

2. The combination,with the slot-rails,of an adjustingstrip, as and for the purpose speciied.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ROBERT GILLHAM.

Vitnesses:

FRED. W. PERKINS, R. MCFADDEN. 

